Stairway To Heaven
by Ravyn Knyght
Summary: Fic using Angel Raye's characters. The Chibi Scouts encounter someone from their parent's past. What will happen? How will things end? Read and Review.


Disclaimer: "I don't own Sailor Moon. With the exception of Rini, Angel Raye owns the Chibi Scouts. I'm just grateful to be allowed to use them!" --Quoth the Ravyn  
  
Rated PG to Pg-13.  
  
Stairway To Heaven -- By Ravyn Knyght  
  
--The Ressurection--  
  
In the late night hours of Autmn, a woman stood alone gazing thoughtfully down at a grave. The gentle wind that was now rising stirred an owl from its vigilant post in an old tree. As it fluttered and flapped it wings then flew off into the night the woman followed it with her eyes and smiled. She returned her gaze back to the grave, reading the epitaph over.  
  
"Always to be remembered By those that you loved, To be forever in our hearts And in Heaven above.  
  
Although the Fates have decreed That your life they should perish, You will be missed by us all and Your memory we will cherish."  
  
She held her hand out over the grave, "Rise ancient warrior, I have great plans for you." she said as a sphere of light flew from her hand then gently drifted down into the ground. Soon the sphere reappeared and in a blinding flash of white light a young man stood before her. Dazed and confused he looked around, "What...What happened?" as he checked himself over not knowing what had just happened. "I've brought you back, a wrong must be set right. Do you remember?" the woman asked him. All he could do was stare blankly at her. "It will come back to you in time, now go." as she motioned towards the entrance of the graveyard.  
  
He didn't know what had just happened, his memories had not yet returned as he mindlessy wandered through the streets. Where am I? he thought. Memories of his past started returning. This street is familiar but different. he thought as he walked along. He didn't know any of the people that passed him on the streets, although different this place felt like home to him. He hoped that someone would remember him but no one called his name. He stopped walking, Who am I? he suddenly thought, If I can't remember who I am then how can anyone else?. From a distance someone that once knew him watched him intently trying to figure out why he was brought back.  
  
"Come on you two, stop dragging behind!" Daisy called to Ariel and Madelyn as the older girls turned a corner. The two girls were talking to each other and walked around the corner without looking ahead of them. "Ooff!" said a man as he stumbled over the two little girls. He himself was not paying attention to where he was going and knocked the both of them down. "Are you alright?" he asked them, helping them up. "I'm sorry small ones, I wasn't watching were I was going and...." his voice trailed off when he looked at Madelyn with a look of shock. I know this girl! the man said staring at the little girl. Madelyn was equally shocked for she knew him too. Just then a name flashed in his head Hotaru., that name was soo familiar to him. He was so lost in thought he didn't notice the little girl had screamed. Daisy came running over to them, "Hey! Leave them alone you creep!" she yelled and hit him as hard as she could, thinking he had done something to her young friend.  
  
As he sat on the sidewalk watching the group of children quickly walk away he couldn't take his eyes off of one in particular. "Are you all right? Did that creep hurt you?" Daisy asked the small child. All Madelyn could do was shake her head as she looked back at the young man who was still watching her. Daisy looked back too and put a protective arm around her. "Don't pay any attention to him." Daisy told her as she turned her away. Daisy made it a point to tell Madelyn's parents what happened, what ever he did to make Madelyn scream like that they would make him pay for it. Maggie turned around to look at him one last time before they were out of sight, This isn't right. she thought.  
  
"Are you alright, honey?!" Hotaru asked her daughter checking her over to see if she was hurt. "I'm fine, mama." she replied as her mother hugged her. "What happened?" was Hotaru's next question. "Some guy was standing over her and she was screaming, so I punched him." Daisy quickly answered, which brought a frown to her mother's face. "He didn't do anything." Ariel spoke up, "We bumped into him and got knocked down and he helped us up. That's all." Hotaru was relieved to hear that, Lita on the other hand was dragging Daisy away to punish her. "Why do you always hit first then never ask questions?" Lita sighed with her daughter protesting every step of the way. "Mama, I think I know who the man was." Madelyn softly told her mother. "That's good, honey. I'm sure that Aunt Lita will want Daisy to apologize to him. Who was it?" Madelyn was about to answer when she felt a pair of eyes burning a hole through her. It was Maggie, she was giving her a look that all children give each other when they are supposed to keep their mouth shut about something. Madelyn thought for a moment, "Uh...I forgot." Hotaru gave a little laugh. "Oh well, it's not that important. I'm sure that boy won't hold a grudge." and gave her daughter a kiss on the cheek and sent her on her way to her quarters.  
  
"But I knew him! Mama would have wanted to know about him too!" Madelyn grumbled to Maggie. "You can't tell anyone about him." she told the little girl. "Why?" she questioned back. "There's something not right about all this. Don't say anything until I talk to my mom. Okay?" Maggie told her in a stern voice. "Okay, okay!" Madelyn growled as she went into her family's quarters. There was no one home so Madelyn went to her parents bedroom and started searching for something. After a few minutes she found the picture of a young man her mother once knew. Madelyn looked at the picture then thought about the man she met today. It had to be him! she thought and quickly put the picture back in the drawer and ran to her room when she heard the front door open.  
  
Elsewhere at the Gates of Time Maggie searched for her mother. On instinct Maggie turned around to find her mother behind her. "Mom!" she said as Setsuna knealt down to hug her daughter. "Mom, I saw a young man today and I couldn't help but feel he shoudn't be here. I felt something dark about him, it scared me." she said as she returned her mother's hug. "I know sweetie. I saw him too. You're absolutely right, he shouldn't be here." Maggie looked at her mother, "Then why is he here?" she asked wanting to know what was going on. "You know I can't tell you. All I can say is that there are several outcomes and none of them are promising." she told her daughter and wondered how the original Sailors would react if they saw this person.  
  
--Memories--  
  
The young man sat alone on a park bench mulling over the memories that slowly came back to him. It seemed that when he met that little girl the other day, all these memories started to surface. Does she know why I'm here. Does she know who I am? he sat thinking things over. If he was to remember, he would have to find that little girl again and talk to her. Who was Hotaru? That little girl? He would soon have to find out. As he continued to think a woman appeared in front of him. "Have you remembered yet?" she asked sitting down next to him. He thought for a moment, "A few things, but...who are you?" he asked the woman. She just laughed and handed him an envelope with some money in it. "Take this. You'll need it. Don't worry, everything will be revealed to you in time. I have great expectations of you." she said then disappeared. Her vanishing act mystified him but he couldn't think about that now as another memory came back to him.  
  
His head felt as if were going to split in two. He doubled over from the pain and fell to the ground unconscious. In a dream like sequence he found himself in a black void watching a battle take place. It was him, and he wasn't doing very well. All he could do was watch in horror as his other self thrust a sword through himself and the woman that was attacking him. He suddenly jolted out of the nightmare to find someone next to him shaking him awake. "You'se alrightz budsy?" a drunk asked. "Grimorah!" he said which confused the drunk even more then he was before. He pushed the old drunk away from him and left the park, trying to understand what just happened. After a few hours more he started remembering who he was. Other memories started coming back to him. Of his friends, his family and his love - Hotaru. Once again that mysterious woman he kept running into showed up again. "So have you remembered anything?" she looked at him hopefully. He looked at her not sure whether he should answer. "Everything." he finally replied. "Then go, and set everything right." she commanded with a warm smile. As he left, the woman thought to herself, Good! He's remembered! That will make it all the more delicious! she laughed to herself coldly.  
  
Elsewhere Crystal Tokyo Elementary was letting out. Children were running this way and that towards their parents to tell them of the day they had. The Chibi Scouts all walked together and talked amongst themselves. "Stupid teacher!" Gloria grumbled. "Well you shouldn't have mouthed off like that." Annika told her as she tried to keep her friend from ditching the note. "You've been quiet Madelyn." Hope said noticing that Madelyn hadn't said too much in the last few days. "Must mean she keeping a secret." added Faith. Madelyn nodded. "You can't even tell me, your best friend?" Ariel pleaded. Maggie spoke up, "No she can't." This struck them as strange. Were Madelyn and Maggie hiding something? Madelyn couldn't take it anymore. "It's about that boy from the other day." she started but then yelped as Maggie gave her a hard pinch. "Don't worry Madelyn. If that creep shows up again I'll clobber him!" Daisy said bawling up her fist. Madelyn said nothing but gave Maggie a cold glare as she rubbed her arm where she got pinched.  
  
As he walked the streets he thought about the little girl form the other day. So that was Hotaru? But if she's a little girl, then that means... he felt a pain shoot through his heart. He clutched at his chest and remembered his wound. "She still had to sacrifice herself." he uttered quietly. His heart hurt even more, but not from the memory of his injury but from an emotional one. He had failed to protect her, he remembered the night that he promised her he would.  
  
**Flash Back**  
  
As their date drew to a close, Allan walked Hotaru to a bench in the garden and the two sat down. "Tonight was perfect!" she purred as they kissed under the stary night sky. "The night is far from over." Allan said, his words puzzling her. Allan stood up and knealt down in front of her. "Princess of Saturn. Please grant me the honour of becoming your guardian knight." Hotaru gasped in shock at Allan's words. "What do you mean by that?" she asked him. "I love you and I want to protect you. From Grimorah, the Negaverse...and yourself." Hotaru looked wide eyed at him "Protect me from myself?" she questioned. "I want to keep you from sacrificing yourself needlessly. I want you to live a life free from that terrible burden." Tears started forming in Hotaru's eyes. She couldn't believe what he just said. 'He wants to protect me!' she thought, now helplessly in tears. Her love for him reached a new level, Allan was simply amazing in every way. She threw her arms around around him and kissed him passionately. She felt as if her heart was about to explode, "I love you sooo much!" she cried.  
  
**End Flash Back**  
  
"Damn it! Damn it all to Hell!" he yelled out as nearby people gave him strange looks and quickly distanced themselves from him. "I...I failed her." he groaned and fell to the ground trying to fight the urge to cry. As he picked himself up he knew he had to find her again. He had to make it up to her somehow, even if she didn't remember who he was. Off in the distance a lone figure contemplated the upcoming events.  
  
Daisy and Maggie decided to go to her mom's restaurant for an after school snack, mainly because she knew her mother would be there today and Daisy wanted to show her the test paper she had gotten back, written in black was a "B-". Looking at the paper thrilled Daisy. She had never gotten such a high mark on a Math test before. She ran through the restaurant to the kitchen where she knew her mother would be. "Mom! Check this out!" she sang waving the paper about. Lita had to take the paper away from her daughter because she wouldn't stop waving it long enough for her to see it. She looked the paper over. "I'm so proud of you!" she said knealing down to hug her daughter for doing so well on the test. "See what happens when you actually study?" Lita said giving her daughter a sly look, Daisy giggled and hugged her mother again. Must have gotten her smarts from her father! Lita giggled as she remembered how poorly she used to do in Math.  
  
Lita fixed the two girls a quick snack. Outside, Allan came across the restaurant and sat down at one of the sidewalk tables. He couldn't stop looking around wide-eyed at everything, it had changed so much. On the table where he was lay an abandoned newspaper. He picked it up and started reading through it, but stopped when the newspaper's date caught his eye. October 9th, 3024. He stared at the paper slack-jawed. "I've been dead for over a thousand years?!" he choked. As he continued to read through the paper he didn't notice the two girls coming out.  
  
It was such a nice day the two girls decided to eat outside at one of the sidewalk tables. As they looked for a table, Daisy froze in place staring at someone. "What's wrong?" Maggie asked her, then her sixth sense kicked in and she too froze in place. The two stood staring at the young man who had still not noticed them. Daisy snapped out of her daze and quickly dragged Maggie back inside. "I thought you two were eating outside?" Lita asked as she came over to them. "No tables!" Daisy stammered. Lita knew that tone, Daisy used it when she didn't want her mother to know something. "Talk." Lita ordered. Daisy gave a heavy sigh then talked. "That boy I decked the other day is out there at one of the tables." she informed her mother. "Good! Young lady we are going out there and apologize to him this instant." Lita said, scolding her. "No!" Maggie spoke up, which surprised Lita as well as Daisy. For some unknown reason Maggie didn't want Lita to see this young man. She suddenly felt a bad feeling about what was going to happen next. "Any reason?" Lita questioned. Maggie was stuck for an answer. "No." she murmured. "I didn't think so." Lita said pushing Daisy along out to where the young man was.  
  
"Excuse me, sir. My daughter would like to say something to you." Lita said but he only managed a half-hearted "Hmm?" as he was completely engrossed in the paper. Lita nudged Daisy, "I...I'm sorry for hitting you the other day." she sadly stated. Not sad for hitting him but sad because she couldn't watch television for a week. As Allan looked up both he and Lita locked eyes. Lita felt a strong feeling in her that she knew this person, that she had seen him before. Allan was going through the same experience as he remembered when he first met her.  
  
**Flash Back**  
  
Allan and his family had just recently moved to Japan where his parents were going to be teaching English at a local high school. Every night after Kendo practice, Allan would stop by a local diner. Lita worked there nights to help pay her way through cooking school. The pace of the job was grueling but Lita enjoyed it. Except when some one had the nerve to complain about the ninteen year old's cooking. Allan was her most persistant heckler. That night Serena and Mina were there. After Lita's shift was over they were going to shoot some pool. As usual Allan came in and sat at the counter and waited to be served. Lita was at the cash register when Allan started up. "Yo! Jiggles! Why don't you jiggle your way back to the kitchen and cook up something half decent." he said with an evil smirk while giving a playful wink at the two blonde vixens sitting next to him.  
  
Lita banged the cash drawer shut and stalked over to him. The two blondes tried to stifle their laughs at the young boy's comment. They were both convinced he had a death wish making statements like that to Lita. Lita had dealt with rude foriegners before but this boy was the limit. "Well if it isn't the American smart ass! What do you want?" she shot back and took out her order pad. "I'm not American. I'm much worse, I'm Canadian." he said smugly. "Same difference." she grumbled. "I'll have the usual, Jiggles!" he said and Lita had to grip the counter top to keep herself from hitting him. "I suppose that's why they kicked you out of Canada." Mina quipped. "No. I'm here because all you Japanese women need a real man." the two gave snorts of laughter. "Hey, I can't help it if I'm a sex symbol!" Allan simply stated. Serena and Mina sat wide-eyed trying to reign in their laughter. "Yeah, a sex symbol for women who just don't give a damn!" Lita responded as she came back with his order. Serena and Mina were now in hysterics from the verbal battle between the two.  
  
**End Flash Back**  
  
"I might as well leave now if you're the one whose in charge of the cooking!" he joked giving the older woman a sly wink and smile. Then it dawned on Lita, 'He looks and sounds like...' he interrupted her thought. "Hey, Lita!" Lita paled with fright and collapsed into a chair and stared at him. That voice. That face. That smile. She cupped her trembling hands over her mouth. "Oh my God!" she weakly gasped as tears poured down her cheeks. Daisy didn't know what was going on as she put her arms around her mother's neck and tried to comfort her. She had rarley seen her mother cry and this was starting to upset her. Maggie just stood and stared at the whole scene, completely void of emotion, not saying anything. Lita couldn't understand it. Allan Strafford died over a thousand years ago, but here he was today sitting across from her. Alive. She slipped free of her daughter's grasp and reached out to him. She took hold of his hands and gave a little yelp when she realized he was real and not a ghost. "It's been a while." Allan said looking at Daisy. "She's so much like you." he told the still trembling woman. "Right down to the punch!" he added while landing a play punch to Daisy's jaw. 'He's cute!' Daisy thought as she smiled and politely thanked him for the compliment.  
  
The time flew by as Lita regained her composure and talked with Allan. The more they talked the more convinced Lita was that this 'was' Allan. "You have to come back with me to the palace! Everyone will want to see you!" she said as she lead him by the arm to her car. Somehow meeting everyone again made him fell uneasy. Sure he wanted to see them but he felt afraid all of a sudden, like he shouldn't be doing this. On the car ride back to the palace Lita rambled on about what happened after he died. Lita didn't notice the stressed look on his face as she talked about everything that happened since he died. When she finally did, she stopped talking and put a hand on his cheek, caressing it. "What am I doing here?" he asked his old friend. She thought for a moment, "That's something we'll talk about with everyone when we get to the palace. Everyone but Hotaru. he thought as he looked out the window at the passing sights.  
  
While Lita kept Allan at the restaurant talking, Daisy and Maggie went home. Daisy went to her quarters while Maggie went to the Gates of Time to look for her mother. She was very distressed over what had just happened, that was obvious when Setsuna greeted her daughter. "Mom....Who is Allan? And why do I get this bad feeling about him?" she asked her mother. "I'm not sure but we'll soon find out. your Aunt Lita is on her way here with him." Setsuna informed her daughter. She wondered how Hotaru would react to all of this as she remembered a sad memory.  
  
**Flash Back**  
  
Setsuna thought carefully as to how she was going to approach Allan with her proposal. She knew that very soon something would happen that would devastate Hotaru, and the only person who could help her would not be there. She thought about the various outcomes and tried to decide which one would produce a better future. As she came up the walk way of his parents house she was still not sure. She rang the door bell.  
  
"Yes?" a woman asked. It was Allan's mother Maria. "Oh! You're a guardian of Allan's girlfriend! Please come in!" Setsuna sat on the couch next to the woman. "Could I get you anything? Coffee? Tea?". "No, thank you. I was wondering if I could speak to your son, Allan for a few minutes?" the tall woman inquired. "Of course! He's downstairs in "The Dungeon"." she said making a quotation gesture with her hands. Setsuna went down the stairs to find Allan. She watched silently as Allan was practising his Kendo technique. Allan was startled when he turned around to see Setsuna standing there with a thoughtful look on her face. "Setsuna? Why are you here? Is there anything wrong?" he asked thinking something terrible had happened. "Not yet." was her short, cryptic reply.  
  
"I can't tell you what will happen, but something will happen and it will devastate Hotaru greatly. Unfortunately, you will not be there for her when she needs you the most." Allan heard the fearful tone in her voice and continued to listen. "I came here to ask you to write her a letter." Allan thought for a moment. "Well if I can't be there why don't I talk to her on the phone or something instead? Don't you think hearing my voice would be more of a comfort than words on paper?" he questioned. She just looked at him. "You won't be able to reach her by phone where you -will- be." This made Allan wonder what really was going to happen. He sat in silence for a few moments thinking about it. "What should I write then?" he asked the quiet woman. "It will come to you when you start writing. When you're finished, give it to me and when the time comes I'll give it to her."  
  
**End Flash Back**  
  
When they arrived Lita quickly ushered Allan to a side room where no one would see him until they were ready. Lita then left to call an emergency meeting with the original Scouts. Allan's fears of Hotaru's fate were strengthened when Lita made no mention of her. Of course he didn't ask her about Hotaru, Maybe I should have? he wondered. Allan sat patiently waiting when a couple of children came into the room. "I'm sure I left it in here!" Hope sounded desparate, trying to find her purse. "This wouldn't have happened if you wore jeans like me." Faith grumbled. Madelyn and Ariel trailing behind them. "Please hurry and find it Hope, the ice cream shop will be closing soon!" Madelyn whined, wanting to go without them. The girls stopped talking when they saw the young man. "Who are you?" Faith shouted wondering how a stranger got into the palace. Madelyn pushed her way past the older girl, she knew who it was. "Allan?" she wondered out loud. "Hotaru!" Allan said as he scooped the little girl up in his arms and showered her face with kisses. "I...I didn't think you'd remember me!" he said holding the little girl tightly. Ariel and Hope were giggling as Madelyn's face turned a bright crimson colour. "Her name is Madelyn, Hotaru is her mother's name!" Ariel giggled. "But you look exactly like her!" Allan looked at the child with awe. She was so much like Hotaru! Then a thought crept into his mind, If this is Hotaru's daughter...., he was broken out of his thoughts by Daisy. "Mom said I should bring you to the conference room now." she informed him.  
  
"Lita why have you called us here?" Michiru questioned the nervous wreck that used to be Sailor Jupiter. "I met someone today that we all know but it's been a long time since we've seen him." she said trying to contain her emotions so she wouldn't babble. The other women looked at her and wondered who she was talking about. "Well are you going to tell us or do we have to hang you upside down and shake you?" Raye said with a look that said she was serious about doing it. "Yes, you interuppted my session with Annika, so this had better be more important than you running into an old boyfriend." Amy added in a stern voice. Ken looked at her, "It better not be an old boyfriend." he warned her starting to feel a little jealous. Lita shook her head. "Yes it's an old boyfriend but it's not mine!" she said excitedly. The Knights looked at their wives with raised eyebrows while they in turn gave their husbands shocked and hurt looks. Haruka said nothing but gave a look that made Michiru squirm. "I'm sure who ever this old boyfriend is that it is long over between whichever one of us he used to date." Serenity told the group, while squirming under Endymion's watchful eye.  
  
Lita was still trying to find a way to tell them when a knock came at the door. Lita rushed to the door to answer it. "Tell us!" they all shouted in unison. When she saw who was on the other side she turned to her friends and said, "I'll do better then tell you!" as she pulled Allan into the room. Everyone fell silent as they stared at the young man Lita had by the arm. Lita nudged him, urging him to say something but he couldn't. All he could do was look at the people sitting around the table staring back at him. Just then Raye's psychic powers kicked in, sensing something, as she remembered who the young man reminded her of.  
  
**Flash Back**  
  
It was raining hard that afternoon, although it was sunny when Raye's grandfather left for the market. Now growing worried as it started to get darker and he had not yet returned home, Raye was about to go out and look for him when the phone rang. It was a young man on the other end informing her that her grandfather had taken a heart attack and was in Tokyo General hospital, at the time Raye couldn't place the voice. Raye's own heart fell to the floor as he explained what had happened. "But he's alright now isn't he?" she asked between sobs, trying to find out about his condition. "Yeah, they got him stabilized. I would have called you sooner but he was pretty out of it. He didn't want to be alone just then. They're moving him from the emergency room now, he's on the sixth floor, Cardiac Unit, Room 215." Raye quickly memorized the information and left for the hospital.  
  
When she arrived, a nurse took her to the room her grandfather was in. She immediately flew to him telling him how scared she was that she had almost lost him. "Excuse me, Miss. The young man that came with him wanted to see your grandfather but since only family are allowed in, is there anything you'd like me to tell him? He's in the waiting room now." Raye gave her grandfather a kiss and told him to get some rest. The nurse lead her to the waiting room and told her about everything the young man did for her grandfather on the way. "Talk about being at the right place and the right time. If he didn't walk through that alley then I shudder to think what would have happened. He carried him out of the alley to a store to call paramedics. He stayed with him until we moved him up here." as the nurse went on Raye's mind was everywhere, I told grandpa not to take that shortcut!....Why didn't he have his heart medication with him!...What would I have done if he died?!. The nurse pointed out the boy in the waiting room. "Allan?" she asked surprised it was him, but also glad. As he stood up she threw her arms around him and cried. "Oh thank you! If you didn't show up, my grandpa...." her voice left her as she cried harder when the thought of losing him and being alone struck her hard.  
  
For the next year Allan was a regular at the Cherry Hill Temple. Raye's grandfather was always glad to see him. Shortly before Allan died her grandfather's health started to fail. For the most part he was bed ridden and couldn't do much for himself. Raye was grateful for both Allan and Chad for helping with running the temple while she took care of her grandfather. After Allan died, Raye didn't know how to tell him. She feared it would be too much for him to handle, his constant asking why Allan wasn't coming to see him forced her to lie to him. She told him that he and his family moved back to Canada. Every week Raye would write a letter to her grandfather and tell him it was from Allan. Raye would ask Darien, who was studying in America to take pictures of the sites and send them back. She would include them in the letters and tell him they were pictures Allan took from around Canada. Raye knew what she was doing was wrong but it seemed to have picked her grandfather's spirits up when she would read one of the letters to him.  
  
"Raye, was there anything from Allan today?" her grandfather called and Chad came in. Raye was exhausted and Chad told her to get some rest and he'd take care of things for a while. Chad knew what he meant and he left to search Raye's room to see if she wrote one that day. He returned shortly with a stack of mail and sorted through it until he found 'the letter'. "Please read it to me." the old man asked and Chad did so.  
  
"Dear Hino Family,  
  
Man is it cold here in Canada! We've just had a series of severe snow storms that pretty much ground things to a halt. I just got finished shoveling! You would not believe some of the snow drifts! They were higher than me! Enclosed are some pictures of the most recent snow storm. How I wish I was back in Japan. The winters there are more moderate than here in Canada. I just checked the temperature and it ws -30 C with windchill making it -46 C! I doubt that whimp Chad could withstand that! HaHaHa! (Psst...Psst..., Grandpa: please don't tell Chad I said that! Just let that be a little secret between you, me and Raye!)."  
  
Although the comment made Chad angry both he and grandpa had a good laugh over it, as Chad showed him the pictures of a snow covered landscape. Chad continued:  
  
"So how are all of you doing? Are you doing all right grandpa? I hope so because I'm always thinking about you and saying a prayer that you will get better. How is Raye doing with her college studies? I hope she's doing well and I know its hard on you in that you can't help run things so Raye can concentrate more on her studies. Things will work out, you'll see. Besides, you have to get up and around in time for her graduation! You must be very proud of your granddaughter. Besides you and my family, Raye is someone I really admire. She is an intellegent, strong willed, caring person. You've done a good job raising her.  
  
So how are things at the temple? Much business? Hey! I got a job as an assistant in a dojo in my hometown! All that training you gave me helped me get the job! And Raye said what you taught me was useless! Well I guess we showed her now didn't we? I'll close off now because Jessie wants me to take her skating! I love you all!  
  
Love, Allan"  
  
**End Flash Back**  
  
"Oh-my-God!" Raye gasped as remembered. Lita kept insisting for him to say something, so he finally complied. "Dude, where's my car?" he stated a question. His voice confirmed who he was to the others. They couldn't believe it. Allan Strafford died over a thousand years ago, but here he stood in front of them all. The shock of such a scene was too much for Hotaru as she soon feinted. About the only person not surprised to see Allan was Setsuna. Both Allan's and Endymion's eyes fell on her. Everyone else just gasped and stared at the situation before them. How could this be? What was going on?  
  
Several hours later, in the palace hospital, Amy was running some tests to see if this person really was Allan Strafford. She was a little disappointed when the results confirmed he was. Amy wanted to write this one up as a 'Close but no cigar' scenario, but couldn't. Soon after, he was back in the conference room with Endymion and Serenity. Allan didn't tell them about the strange woman he kept running into since he was revived. For some reason he decided against doing so. They decided to tell him about his family now to prevent a scene later. Allan just sat there staring into space as the two told him that six months after he died, his family was killed in a car accident. He didn't say anything, he just sat there remembering.  
  
**Flash Back**  
  
It was moving day for the Straffords. They were busy packing boxes to be loaded onto trucks. Arthur and Maria Strafford were English teachers that recently accepted a transfer to Japan to teach English to high school students. Their parents were too busy with organising the move so they left their oldest child Allan to take care of his younger sister Jessica. Right now Allan was working on cheering up Jessica about the move. She did not want to go to Japan, where ever that was. She wanted to stay with her friends. "But I won't know anyone there, Alley!" the blonde whined thinking her big brother would be able to stop their parents from moving. "Well that's not true! Me, mom and dad will be there and I'm sure you'll make new friends." he tried to convince her. "No I won't! I won't like that place either!" she stated angrily. This would be a challenge for Allan. Then he remembered something. "Well if you stay here, you'll never get to meet your favorite Sailor Scout, Sailor Venus." he told the little girl. That got her attention. "Huh?" she said. "Oh, yeah! She's all over Japan. They say not a day goes by that you don't see her." he knew she wouldn't pass up the chance to see her all time favorite Sailor Scout.  
  
"Really?" she asked, starting to get excited. "Really! But if you want to stay here and miss seeing her then I'll just go tell mom n' dad that you don't want us to go Japan." he said getting up off of the back step and going for the back door. Jessica quickly grabbed his hand trying to stop him, "Alley! Don't!" she whined. Jessica wasn't about to pass up the chance to see her idol in person, but she was still going to miss her home and friends in Canada. "Well we could take a bunch of pictures of everything and everyone before we go and make a photo album so we remember everyone we know here." he told the five year old. That seemed to make her a little happier about the move, but it would still be hard on her. At least she'd have her protector, Allan with her.  
  
**End Flash Back**  
  
Allan sat in silence thinking about his parents and little sister. He thought about how he never once considered what would happen to them if something happened to him. He quickly blamed himself for their deaths. He sat there watching Endymion's and Serenity's lips move but found he couldn't understand what they were saying. Maybe because he had heard enough. He pulled himself up out of the chair and started to leave the room. Concerned of what was going through his mind, the king and queen tried to stop him but he just pushed them out of his way, keeping his silent demeanor. "You shouldn't be alone right now!" Serenity pleaded her old friend to stay and talk. He wasn't listening anymore. His family was dead and it was all his fault. He couldn't be with anyone right now. Serenity moved to stop him from leaving but was stopped herself by her husband. "Let him be alone for now." he told her, but a dark feeling grew inside of her that doing that would not be a good idea.  
  
All of the younger Scouts wondered why their parents were such in a state of shock when they returned to their quarters. When they tried to asked if they were all right, they were told to go and play. They all decided to gather for an emergency meeting to discuss what was going on. Rini was the one who knew the most about Allan so she filled everyone in on him. "The thing I don't understand is why has he been brought back to life now?" she wondered. "Maggie would know!" Madelyn piped up, "She wouldn't let me tell anyone about him the other day." she added and was promptly pinched by Maggie for blabbing. "All I got was a bad feeling about him and mom said that there were several bad outcomes." Maggie quickly covered her mouth when she realized she let something about the future slip. All the girls focused their full attention at the red-faced future gaurdian of time. "Something bad is going to happen?" Daisy asked her friend but Maggie didn't answer. "Tell us!" Gloria demanded. "I don't know. All I know is that I have a bad feeling about him." she retold her statement. "Okay then it's up to Annika and Ariel to tell us." Faith said looking at the pair. "Can't. If mama knew that I used my psychic abilities she'd spank me!" Annika protested. "I'd never sit down in life if my parents found out I used my foresight!" Ariel spoke up fearing the spanking that she'd undoubtedly receive. "Great! Now what do we do?" Faith groaned. "Like my mom always says, "We'll just have to wait and see."" Maggie told the group.  
  
As they all left the meeting room Rini stayed behind thinking about some things. She tried to figure out how it was posible for Allan to be alive. She was there when he died. She was there when they buried him. The only answer she could come up with was that this person was an imposter. All she had to do was find out who he really was and what he was up to. Later on she would ask Annika to do a fire reading, at least Raye would agree to that.  
  
"Allan!" Hotaru cried as she awoke sometime later in her quarters. She sat up in bed soaked with sweat. Anthony quickly came in and took his trembling wife into his arms. "Shh..it's okay. You just had a bad dream that's all." he softly spoke. He knew the problems that this was going to cause. He had just finished talking to some of the Scouts and Knights about this Allan Strafford person and the state Hotaru was in after his death. He comforted his wife as all she could do at the moment was cry as she thought about the last time she saw Allan.  
  
**Flash Back**  
  
It was warm for that time of the morning as Hotaru stared out across the ocean at the brightening horizon. She stood there for a few moments thinking how peaceful this place was. The only sounds to be heard was the waves breaking against the cliff base and the warm, gentle winds. There were no other sounds around for miles. 'Just like Allan to pick a place like this.' she thought then took out the letter and continued to read it.  
  
"So are you there yet? Good! Nice place huh? Peaceful, quiet, and no Haruka! Let this be -our- place. If ever you feel sad or alone come here and I'll be waiting for you. I'll always be here for you. In the gentle crashing of the waves. In the soft winds that sweep across the cliffs. I will always be waiting for you just beyond that crimson horizon. All you have to do is call my name and I'll come to you. Remember that no matter where I am, no matter what may happen, you will always be on my mind and in my heart. I promise you this.  
  
Forever in love with you,  
  
Allan"  
  
"I love you too, Allan!" she cried as she held the letter close to her heart. She gazed at the horizon with tears in her eyes as she watched the horizon grow brighter. Her thoughts were interupted however by a man's voice. "I've been waiting for you." the voice said. Hotaru was afraid to turn around, she thought she imagined it. Then she found a pair of familiar arms holding her. They felt so strong and at the same time gentle. They could only be his. She forced herself around hoping to find him still there, that it wasn't her imagination.  
  
She cried hard into his shoulder, clutching him tightly, vowing to herself never to let go of him. Allan wanted to hold her forever too but he knew his time with her was short so he got to the point. "Look I don't have much time to be with you, Setsuna brought me from the past. I just want to tell you that what ever happened it was for the best." Hotaru shook her head, "No it wasn't! I know I shouldn't but you're going to die! If you fight Grimorah you will die! Please, what ever you do don't go!" He thought about doing what she asked when told he'd die but all he did was shake his head. "Tell me what ever you want because it won't change a thing. Setsuna told me that she intends to wipe today out of my memory." Although the thought of his death disturbed him he was relieved to know that what ever happened Hotaru survived.  
  
**End Flash Back**  
  
"Why didn't he listen to me." she whispered. This was all very tramatic for her and Anthony decided that he'd do everything he could to keep Hotaru away from whoever this person was. After calming down, Hotaru went back to the conference room to find out what was going on despite her husband's pleas for her not to.  
  
Amy sat in her office reviewing her test results. Not satisfied with them she decided to run another blood test to check for anything that didn't belong. "There must have been something I missed." she muttered as she sat and waited for her computer to print out the results. As she waited she remembered a comical moment where Allan and Hotaru were trying to explain a time distortion to her and the other Scouts.  
  
**Flash Back**  
  
"I still don't believe it." Amy said in a skeptical tone. "How could my tinkering with that mind alteration crystal cause a distortion in time?". Allan clutched two handfuls of his own hair and screamed. "What's wrong with him?" Amy asked Hotaru. "That's the two hundreth and sixty first time he's heard you say that. I think it's starting to get to him." she giggled as she watched her boyfriend try to refrain from strangling Amy. "We think Pandemonia planned this before she died. Sort of like a going away present. We've got about nine hours before time loops back to figure out how to stop it.". Amy thought for a moment. "Well I'm flattered that you'd come to me to help figure this out but this is more Setsuna's field of expertise. Why aren't you asking her?" Amy's question brought out a tired groan from Allan. "Long story, short. Pandemonia knew that so she made it that Setsuna couldn't exist in this time loop. Her only choice was the two of us. The only reason we remember is that maybe there's something in the crystal that makes us." Allan grumbled as he got ready for another cram session.  
  
Amy was astounded that both Allan and Hotaru knew so much about the Negaverse language that Amy was studying as several times the two of them corrected her. Also it seemed Amy covered many other subjects such as advanced quantum physics, computer programming and other subjects relevent to the situation. Amy watched as Allan speedily keyed in a computer program that could translate the cryptic langauge contained in the crystal. "This will make it much easier to figure out now!" she exclaimed as she started reading through the massive document. Although translated it made no sense whatsoever. "I think you guys made a mistake." Amy said, baffled by the way everything was mixed up. "No we didn't. We need you to help us write a program to get all these words in the right order." Hotaru informed her. "I don't think my mini computer can do all that. Come to think of it I don't know of any computer that can do that?" Amy said thinking. "We do." Hotaru said, "We used it to figure out the first program.". "Well where is this computer?" was Amy's next question, although when answered she wished she never asked.  
  
After convincing the Scouts to teleport to an American research centre, they followed Allan and Hotaru past all the high security installations. "Are you sure this is safe?" Jupiter asked, while she and Uranus kept an eye out for M-16 carrying security guards. "Positive. This is the seventy- third time we were here." Hotaru said in a whisper. Allan waved them into the room containing the computer they needed. "Big Blue?" Amy gasped as she stared at the massive machine. "All right let's get to it." Allan ordered as he, Amy and Hotaru went to work. Six loops later they were ready to test the program. After some fine tuning they were successful in figuring out what was the problem. After Amy made the right adjustments to the crystals programming the only thing left to do now was wait. "So is this all we do? Just sit around and wait?" Serena asked sounding bored. "That's all. Just wait." Hotaru insisted as the time for the loop to happen came closer.  
  
The time for the loop came and went and the group were still sitting around Raye's kitchen table. "No bright flash. No staring at a Math teacher." Allan said as he looked around. "We fixed it!" Hotaru cheered as she hugged Allan. Just then Setsuna showed up, "Yes you did. Although you took the long way about doing it." she said giving the two of them a hard look. "So with this time loopy thingy, you two could have done whatever you wanted. Did you, you know, do anything like that?" Serena asked wanting to know what went on during the time loop. "Yeah come on you guys fill us in!" Lita pleaded. "What do you mean Serena?" Allan asked. "You know, things you wouldn't normally do." she said. Allan just gave her a wink as Hotaru gave Darien a knowing stare. Both Serena and Darien stared at each other wondering what had happened. "Oh that reminds me!" Allan said turning on the radio and pulling out a lottery ticket. Setsuna quickly snatched it from him and tore it up. "Allan you didn't!" Hotaru said crossly as every one else laughed.  
  
**End Flash Back**  
  
So lost in thought Amy didn't realize how much time had passed and before she knew it her computer was exporting its results to the printer. She frowned at the results. "It's him all right." she sighed and was about to start researching the possibility of a clone when a knock came at her office door. It was Annika. Amy had completely forgotten about Annika's sessions with this new distraction. Unfortunately for Annika she had no intentions of letting this week's session go so she could work on this new problem. As she talked with Annika she mulled over what to do next. After Annika left, Raye stayed behind to talk to Amy about the recent developments.  
  
"So do you have any ideas as to what's going on?" Amy asked looking over her reports. Raye shook her head, "No. I tried doing a fire reading before I picked up Annika and I got nothing." Amy thought for a moment. "Well there's only one way to know if this is really Allan or a very good clone." Amy said picking up her phone. "What are you going to do?" Raye asked, wanting to be let in on whatever Amy was planning. "I'm going to see about having Allan's coffin exsumed." she said dryly. A cold shiver ran through Raye at the thought of such a thing, but it would settle the problem in a hurry and left Amy to her plans. Raye decided to check in on Hotaru, she was the most affected by all of this.  
  
On her way to the Saturn quarters, Raye ran into Haruka and Michiru leaving the Saturn quarters. The pair did not look all that happy either. "How's Hotaru?" she asked when she caught up with them. They just looked at each other and then back at Raye. "She's gone looking for him. We're going to look for her." Haruka said. "She must be in a terrible state with all of this." Michiru added. "So where did Allan go?" Raye asked next, Haruka or Michiru didn't have an answer. After talking a while longer, Raye left and went to the shrine to do a fire reading only to discover that Annika was there before her and so was Rini.  
  
"So what are you two up to?" Raye asked Rini, trying to figure out what the two were doing. "I asked Annika to do a fire reading on whoever that person was pretending to be Allan." Rini told her. "That was really him. I could sense it." Raye told her, Rini shook her head. "Did you forget. I was there when he died. I was there when he was buried. It can't be him.". They stopped talking as the fire revealed who the person was. Rini frowned when the flames revealed several scenes from the past that she remembered very well. "Well I guess that settles it then." Raye said. "No it doesn't! I'm going to find out what's going on no matter what." Rini declared. "I wonder how Hotaru is holding up with all this. I'm going to talk to her later." "Hotaru went looking for Allan a little while ago." Raye informed. "We have to find her. It might be some sort of trap." Rini said and rushed out. "Mama." Annika called out and Raye came to her. "What is it baby?" she said hugging her daughter. "I've been getting a bad feeling about that boy since he came here. Is everything going to be all right?" Annika asked. For some reason, Raye wasn't picking up anything and she thought it was due to the shock of the whole scene that kept her from sensing anything. She guessed because Annika didn't know him she was less influenced by the goings on. Raye didn't have an answer for her daughter, she just gave her a hug and told her to go play. Annika's fears grew greatly when her mother didn't answer her.  
  
After an unsuccessful search, Hotaru returned with Haruka and Michiru. "I wonder where he could have went?" Hotaru thought aloud. "Do you think he's all right?". Michiru and Haruka gave each other concerned looks. "Aren't you jumping to conclusions? We're not even sure if it really is him, it might be a trick to distract us. Eden has been very quiet in the last few weeks. This might be her doing." Haruka told her, thinking. "I agree. We should all be careful right now." Michiru added, Hotaru wasn't listening. "Serenity said he took the news about his family pretty hard." thinking about the time before the dormancy. "Oh Allan. Where are you?" she murmered as she thought about all the good times she had with him. Haruka and Michiru were lost in thought as well as they remembered the first time they met him.  
  
**Flash Back**  
  
After getting her call, Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune made their way to the kendo school where Hotaru was. "Oh I hope she's all right!" Neptune said worriedly. Uranus said nothing, just kept on running. As they got there they found Sailor Saturn lying on the ground unconscious as a young boy was fighting a youma. They quickly joined in the fight. "Get out of here now!" Uranus shouted at the young boy. He didn't listen as he turned and charged towards the monster with Saturn's scythe, managing to land a glancing blow which caused the beast to scream in pain. Seeing that it was outnumbered, the youma used a technique to create copies of himself. Soon, Uranus, Neptune and the young boy found themselves surrounded by four youma. "Uranus World Shaking!", Uranus shouted taking aim at one of the youma. The blast passed through it as if it weren't there. "Neptune Deep Sumberge!", Neptune called out, only for her attack to pass through her target as well.  
  
"We have to find the original in order to defeat it!" Uranus said as she tried to follow the circling youma. "How do we do that?" Neptune asked wondering how they could hit the right one. The young boy watched the youma leap about while he and the two women dodged their attacks. He remembered that the original would have a wound from where he slashed it earlier. He followed each one until he found the wounded one. He lunged at it and started attacking. "Wait! That's not the right one!" Neptune screamed as the boy charged after the creature. Unable to follow him because of the other youma attacking, all they could do was watch the young boy's impending slaughter. That didn't happen. Instead the young boy managed to keep pace with the creature, landing a few more strikes causing the creature to slump over in pain. With the original in weakened condition, the other two copies disappeared and Uranus and Neptune were able to finish off the youma.  
  
**End Flash Back**  
  
"If you think it is necessary, then the king and I shall get you the required papers." Serenity said with a shiver after Amy stated her request. "The sooner the better." Amy commented as she left Serenity's quarters. Serenity turned to Endymion. "What do you make of all this?" she asked her husband. "Something peculiar is going on and is obviously causing a lot of distress. I tend to agree with Rini. It might somehow be a trap to distract us from whoever is responsible." he answered. Serenity thought about the possiblity as she too fell victim to reliving past moments.  
  
**Flash Back**  
  
After the others had left, Serena and Rini stayed behind to help clean up after Hotaru's sweet sixteen birthday party. "What's so sweet about it!" Hotaru grumbled as she cleared away a few of the plates. "Oh come on it was a great party! Look at the stuff you got!" Serena pointed out the large pile of presents the young girl recieved. "Big fat hairy deal!" she complained Stupid! You knew about today!. Of all the people that came to her party, one very important person was missing. Serena and Rini exchanged loks with each other. Michiru tried to change the subject and cheer her up. "I spoke with Haruka and she said she'll give you some driving lessons before you take your driver's test." she announced. "You're so lucky! You get to go for your driver's license!" Rini muttered, she had four more years to go before she got hers. "Why didn't Allan come?" Hotaru wondered. "Something important came up but believe me, right now you are the only thing on his mind." Setsuna assured the angry teen.  
  
"You're right, maybe something happened to him? Oh my god! What if he had an accident! Or something happened to his family!" Hotaru quickly jumped to conclusions and rushed to call Allan's parents to see if anything happened. After finding out that Allan left some time ago for the party, Hotaru's fears grew worse as she thought about something bad happening to Allan.  
  
"You think he'd show up! Stupid jerk!" Rini muttered as she helped with the dishes. "Yeah! That Strafford's got some nerve to miss Hotaru's birthday!" Serena quickly agreed as she banged down a plate. "Excuse me but I would like to have a kitchen!" Michiru stated. "Sorry." the two apologized. "Like I said, something came up but Allan will be here." Setsuna repeated her earlier statement. "You know something, don't you?" Serena said shaking a suspicious finger at Setsuna. "You know you keep way to many secrets." Serena teased. "A trait in which you don't possess." Rini said which started a fight.  
  
After everything was cleared away, Serena and Rini said their good nights and left. As they were heading down the walk way, an extremely worn out Allan was making his way up towards the mansion. Serena and Rini were still in a fighting mood and decided to double team Allan. "Well look who decided to show up." Serena started. "You've got nerve!" Rini piped up, "Hotaru really wanted you to come! So what's your excuse?". "Like it will matter when he sees how upset he made Hotaru by missing her birthday! If I were you I'd have brought my groveling pads because you will definitely be on your knees buster!" Serena finished. But the two women stopped their teasing when Allan came closer and they saw his condition. He looked like he was in a fight. His face was bruised, the right sleave of his jacket was torn and blood soaked. He looked completely exhausted and he was limping. "Just like a woman! Always expecting us men to look our best at all times!" he stated with a tired smile. "If you all will excuse me I have a birthday party I'm late for." he said in a regal tone and proceded up the walk. Determined to find out what had happened the two girls followed him while trying to pry out the details of his state of appearance.  
  
**End Flash Back**  
  
"He took a lot of things back then but I don't think he can handle this. He'll have to be brought back. He can't be in his right frame of mind with all of this." Serenity said. "I'll order a few guards to look for him in the morning." Endymion told his wife.  
  
"Hey mom! Whatcha watchin'?" Gloria questioned as she looked at the television. After seeing Allan, Mina remembered an old tape she had put in storage. It was an audition tape she had made for an acting school. "Just an old tape." she mindlessly replied. Gloria sat down on the couch and watched it with her mother. She immediately recognized every one on the tape. It was the Sailor Scouts in poorly made Scout costumes. As Gloria watched she couldn't help but comment about the dialouge. "Boy! Talk about a cheezy script! Did a two year old write it?". "That's a terrible thing to say! I worked really hard to write that script! Mind your manners young lady!" Mina snapped. "I'd have to agree with Gloria. The script was pretty bad. And why did I have to wear the pumpkin costume!?" Artemis stated. "Oh just be quiet and watch the movie!" Mina growled and every one quieted down. As the tape played, Mina remembered how she got the idea for the short movie.  
  
**Flash Back**  
  
"Pretty please with cherries and sprinkles on top!" Mina begged but no one would willingly volunteer to help her with her acting class assignment. "It's not that we don't want to it's just that we are all sooo...busy." Serena said, speaking for everyone. Mina knew it was true. Lita was at chef college and working part time to pay for it so her free time was at a minimum. Amy was attending Tokyo Medical College and even when a Negaverse attck came she often could not be there for them. Raye was bogged down with the running of the temple, caring for her grandfather while majoring in business administration. Serena was busy too but had more free time than the other inner Scouts but knew if she agreed, glory hog Mina would stick her with a bit role. "We wish we could help you out on this. Really." Serena said. "Well that's okay. I'll figure out something." Mina said as she said good bye to Serena. She then picked up her phine again. "I wonder...?" as she dailed Hotaru's number.  
  
Hotaru, Allan, Michiru, Haruka and Setsuna sat and listened as Mina explained her situation. "I've got two weeks to do it in and I really need some help here so please don't say no!" she begged them I had four weeks actually but they don't need to know I wasted the first two Mina thought. Her audience exchanged stares with one another as they tried to think of an excuse to get out of it. "Well I suppose I could help and I know Allan will be more than willing to help." Hotaru offered. Allan gave her a stern look. Haruka chuckled a little. "What's that Haruka? You want to take part too?" Allan said, causing Haruka's eyes to widen. "Uh...no. I don't have the talent for such a thing. I think Michiru would be best suited for that type of thing." she said volunteering her partner. "Well..." Michiru started but Hotaru gave her a look she always used when she wanted something, and it always worked. "Great!" Said Mina clapping her hands with joy. "How about you Setsuna?" Mina asked. Everyone stared at her ready and willing to force her into it. But unlike the others she had a legitamit excuse. "Sorry but I have to keep an eye on the Gates of Time. I'd love to help out but I just can't." she explained. That's your excuse for everything. Haruka coldly thought. "Well we'll all meet tomorrow to come up with ideas."  
  
"So who has any ideas?" Mina grumbled as she examined a lock of her hair. "Nothing." Hotaru replied. "Same here." Allan said. Allan's little sister, Jessica, was showing Michiru some of her drawings. Michiru couldn't help but comment on her looks. "You know if I didn't know better I would swear that you and Mina were sisters. I mean you look so much alike.". Just then Mina was inspired. "I've got it!" she giggled. "Sailor Venus: The Next Generation." she exclaimed. For the next half hour Mina explained her idea. "So let me get this straight. You will be playing Sailor Venus and Jessica will be your daughter "Chibi Venus" and the two of you will be fighting the evil Queen Neptuna and her evil cat? Where do Hotaru and I fit in?" Allan asked. "Well let's see...how about you two be Michru's evil henchmen?" Mina said still going over the whole idea in her head.  
  
**End Flash Back**  
  
"You may have defeated my Queen but you will never defeat me! Pumpkin- Puss!" Mina's terrible attempt at Artemis's voice made him groan and bury his head under a pillow. "Let me know when it's over!" Artemis' muffled voice called. "What did you think of it?" Mina asked her family. "It sucked rocks mom!" Gloria honestly stated. "You're grounded! Go to your room!" a hurt Mina ordered. "Well?" she said turning her large blue, hope filled eyes towards her husband. Asai knew better than to tell the truth so he quickly changed the subject. "I think this young boy is creating a lot of distraction and emotional turmoil in you and the other Scouts." Asai pointed out. "I think you're right on that." Mina sighed turning off the television. "Instead of taking this trip down memory lane I think we should focus on what's going on here. Serenity and Endymion shouldn't have let him walk out." Asai said.  
  
That night, the same mystery woman found Allan back at the cemetary. She quietly came up behind him. "So we meet again." her voice shook him out of deep thought. He had no idea how long he knelt there, staring at his family's headstones. "She was only seven years old." Allan muttered trying not to let his emotions get to him. "She must have been a sweet child." the woman commented. "How would you like to have them back?" she asked. Allan looked up at her with bloodshot eyes. "You can do that?" he questioned back in complete shock. "I did it for you didn't I?" she smiled down at him. "Why?" he then asked wanting to know the reason for her benevolence. "I believe that some people deserve a second chance no matter what they've done." she explained. "Who are you?" he then asked wanting to know more about her. "That is of little importance right now. Come along and I will tell you what you need to do in order to have your family back." she invited him to follow her out of the cemetary. For a moment Allan wondered if she was for real but if she brought him back then she could do the same for his family.  
  
"You blame yourself don't you?" she said as they walked along. "Yes." he simply answered. So do I! she said to herself. "But there will be time enough for doubt and blame later right now we need to prepare." she told him.  
  
--The Dark Knight--  
  
Several days passed and a search for Allan turned up nothing. "I don't know how but it is him." Amy said after informing Serenity and Endymion of her discovery. "When the coffin was opened it was empty. But before today the ground wasn't disturbed at all." she said trying to figure out how such a thing could be possible. "Any word on our children?" she asked, knowing that Eden decided to resume her attacks. "Yes. They were able to prevent one of her minions from gathering more spirit energy and are on their way back." she told Amy. "We should all give them a special treat for doing a great job when they return." Amy said smiling. "Yes. I think they deserve it!" Serenity agreed.  
  
"Got 'ta show me the mama!" Annika sang as she threw herself into her mother's arms. "How did the fight go?" Raye asked. "Great! We totally wasted that youma!" Faith reported. "That's good to hear." Michiru commented. "Now you all have hurry inside because dinner is ready and right after that I'm sure you all have home work to do." she reminded the young girls.  
  
"I'm home mom!" Rini called entering her quarters. The first to greet her was Diana. "Miss Rini!" the cat squealed as she leapt up onto Rini's shoulder. "Your mother is in the kitchen getting dinner ready." the cat informed her. Rini went in. "So how was your day?" Serenity asked. "Oh the usual. Went to school...had a test...blew up a youma..." Rini effortlessly commented. "So. Any word on Allan?" she asked. Serenity shook her head. "Mom who do you think is behind all this?" Rini asked as she helped set the table. "Well I'm not sure but I think Eden might be involved some how." she replied. "Do you think he's alright?" Rini then said wondering about Allan's state of mind. "This was a big shock to him as well. Coming back and finding everything he knew was either gone or changed. It really hurt thim to hear that his family had died. He's got a lot of emotions to sort through. I just wished he had stayed here so we could help him through this." Serenity sighed. Rini thought.  
  
After dinner, Ariel and Madelyn were playing a game on the floor of the family room but due to their earlier battle the two were soon dropping off to sleep. "Looks like they've had enough." Hotaru pointed out as she and Amy picked up their sleepy children and said good night to everyone. "What was he like?" Madelyn asked. "Who?" Hotaru asked. "Allan." Madelyn replied. "Maddie's got a boyfriend!" Ariel sleepily teased. "Ariel." Amy cautioned, knowing that this was a highly sensitive subject with Hotaru. "I'm pretty sure I told you about him before." Hotaru said not wanting to discuss it at the moment. "But." Madelyn started as they turned the corner to their quarters. "We'll talk about this later." Hotaru said in a tone that told Madelyn not to push it.  
  
After putting Madelyn to bed, Hotaru went to the Mercury quarters to talk with Amy about everything that happened so far. Greg greeted Hotaru at the door. "Could I speak with Amy?" she asked as Greg let her in. "Sure. She's with Ariel." Greg told her and Hotaru went to the bedrooms. She stood at the door watching Amy rock Ariel to sleep. "Sweet." Hotaru softly said as not to wake her. "And getting sweeter." Amy said smiling down at her sleeping daughter. After Amy tucked her in, she and Hotaru talked in the living room. "I've been expecting you to come see me." Amy started. "So how are you feeling?" Amy asked knowing Hotaru was thrown for a loop went she saw Allan again. "I don't even know where to start." Hotaru sighed. "Why not at the beginning?" Amy said getting things started. "Why don't you tell me how you felt in the conference room when Allan walked in." "At first I thought it was Lita's idea of a sick joke but....it was really him. I was seeing him and hearing him. It was like I was waking up from a dream and I was back in high school again. All the feelings, all the memories. They woudn't stop coming." Hotaru explained as Amy listened. "What kind of feelings?" Amy asked, Hotaru's cheeks reddened a bit. "Feelings I wouldn't dare talk to Anthony about!" Hotaru shamefully admitted.  
  
Amy knew what kinds of feelings Hotaru was having. She remembered the weeks and months after Allan's death. "Well why don't we go back then to after Allan's death." Amy's suggestion made Hotaru squirm a little. "You were very broken up for a long time then one day you seemed almost back to your normal self. You never told us what had caused that change in you." Amy asked, Hotaru thought about how to answer, remembering that Setsuna told her not to tell anyone of that morning's events. "Well let's just say that someone helped me to stop blaming myself for what had happened.". Amy knew what Hotaru meant. At the time Hotaru blamed herself and the outer Senshi for what had happened to Allan. "I think you should talk to Anthony about this. It's something that needs to be dealt with now or it will cause problems later on." Amy told her. "I suppose you're right." Hotaru agreed and left.  
  
Some more days passed and Eden's minions were on the move again. Being the leader of the Chibi Scouts, Eden sent a youma after Rini to drain her of her spirit energy. If she defeated Cosmic Moon she'd kill two birds with one stone. Gather an enormous amount of spirit energy and secondly, thrown the Chibi Scouts into disarray by not having a leader. "Golden Dream Sceptor Eliminate!" Cosmic Moon shouted as her new attack vaporised the youma. She was about to release the spirit energy the youma drained from the nearby people when Eden appeared. "So you defeated that mindless drone?" she asked not caring about the just dusted youma. "Well let me introduce to you my newest soldier! You'll have a hard time defeating him! Dark Knight! Come forth and deal with this pesant!" A figure materialized before Cosmic Moon that filled her with absolute terror. "Retrieve that crystal for me now." Eden ordered. Cosmic moon stared deep into the souless black eyes of Allan. "What's going on?! What are you doing?!" she questioned Allan wanting to know why he was helping Eden in her conquests. Allan said nothing as he held his hand out. The crystal flew from Cosmic Moon's hands and into Allan's. Cosmic Moon was in too much shock to try to get the crystal back. She stood there completely void of strength as she watched Allan gather the remaining spirit energy from the unconscious people then disappear with Eden and the crystal.  
  
When the other Chibi Scouts arrived they found Cosmic Moon sitting on the ground, surrounded by the victims of Eden's youma. "What happened?!" Chibi Jupiter questioned looking around at the carrange. Cosmic Moon didn't answer. She was in a state of shock at what she witnessed. "Are you alright?" Chibi Mars asked kneeling down in front of her leader. Cosmic Moon was muttering something too low to be heard. "She's in shock over something! We have to get her back to the palace now!" Chibi Pluto stated pulling out her communicator to call for help. "What happened? Couldn't you stop the youma?" Chibi Venus demanded but Cosmic Moon said nothing. Serenity and Sailor Mars arrived a few minutes later to take Cosmic Moon and the rest of the Chibi Scouts back to the palace.  
  
"What happened?" Raye questioned the Chibi Scouts upon there return. "We don't know mama. It was over when we got there." Annika stated. "Is Rini going to be alright?". "Amy is checking her over now." Michiru said. In Amy's office Rini just sat on the examining table staring into space as Amy examined her. Why was he with her? Surely Allan knows who she is and what she's upto? Why would he help her? Rini thought. "Rini!" Serenity said sharply, jolting Rini back to reality. "What happened?" Serenity demanded as tears started to build up in Rini's eyes. "He was with her." she weakly muttered. "I don't understand. Who was with who?" Serenity asked trying to understand what went on. "Allan...he...he was with Eden. He took those people's spirit energy and I couldn't stop him. I just couldn't..." she broke down and cried. Amy left Serenity to calm her daughter down but after hearing what Rini said, Serenity was now in quiet shock. Later on that day, Serenity would call a meeting of both the Sailor Scouts and Chibi Scouts to discuss how to deal with this recent turn of events.  
  
"I don't believe it!" Jupiter stated. She could just not believe that Allan would align himself with anyone from the Negaverse. "Rini must have been mistaken." Venus reasoned as she too could not accept such a notion. "I'm not lying and I wasn't mistaken! It was him!" Rini said defending herself. "Well if it is true then there must be a reason." Uranus commented. "No reason could be worth giving yourself up to the Negaverse." Mars stated while trying to figure out if maybe there was another reason for Allan's involvement with Eden. "Maybe she has control of his mind and is forcing him to help her?" Neptune wondered. "It's highly possible. Allan was in a very weakened emotional state and she's probably taking advantage of it." Mercury concluded. "That has to be it. The only question now is how do we get him back?" Endymion asked everyone. No one had an answer just yet. They didn't even know where he was at the moment. "We have to find a way." Saturn finally spoke. "We all owe it to him to rescue him and help him." "Right!" Serenity stated. Pluto came into the room.  
  
"Pluto why are you here?" Pluto Knight questioned as his wife rarely left the Gates of Time in the last few weeks. "Perhaps it would be best to let your children deal with Eden and whatever she's planning." Pluto cautioned. "Allan's our friend! We've got to do what ever we can to save him. We've got too many good memories of him." Jupiter spoke up. Pluto's look hardened. "And that is why the Chibi Scouts should handle this and not all of you. Your emotions and memories may prevent you from doing what is needed. Cosmic Moon is a prime example. She could not bring herself to stop Allan. If it comes to it will any of you be able to do what is needed?" she questioned the Sailor Scouts. They looked at each other and thought. "You mean kill him if we can't get him back, don't you?" Saturn asked. "That won't be necessary. You'll see!" Rini defiantly stated but she didn't know what Pluto knew.  
  
Just then an ominous orb appeared in the conference room and floated down onto the table. Eden's image appeared in the orb. "Oh how touching! You're all going to save your little friend? HaHaHaHaHa! Well as you can see he's here with me right now." the image changed to reveal Allan chained to a wall, calling out for help. "You heartless witch! How dare you play god with people's lives!" Rini shouted at the sphere. "You should teach your daughter some respect for her elders Serenity. HaHaHaHa!" Eden mused. "Where are you!?" Jupiter demanded, the orb jumped as she pounded the table with her fist. "All you have to do is touch the orb and you'll know where to find your friend." she told them and laughed evily before the image faded. Without hesitation Rini placed her hand on the orb and instantly vanished in a flash of light. "We have to go after her!" Mars insisted, concerned that it might be a trap. She touched the crystal and vanished as well. "Mama!" Chibi Mars cried as she too ran up and touched the crystal to follow after her mother. "Well I guess that's our cue." Venus said as she and her daughter touched the crystal. "Be on our guard." Pluto warned Saturn before she and Chibi Saturn left for the mystery location. "Stay close to her." Pluto informed Uranus and Neptune. "We will." they said as they left. "Chibi Neptune, Chibi Uranus, Mercury and Chibi Mercury, Jupiter and Chibi Jupiter, Pluto and Chibi Pluto should remain here in case this might be a trap." Endymion warned. Serenity prayed that everything would work out.  
  
One of the first things the Scouts realized is that when they arrived they were all seperated and within a maze. "Mama!" Chibi Mars called out as she timidly made her way along the stone passageways. Elsewhere Sailor Mars heard her daughter's voice. "Stay in one place and keep calling me baby!" Mars shouted as she raced towards the sound of her little girl's voice.  
  
"That's Annika!" Chibi Venus said as she too headed towards it. She rounded a corner and slammed into a dead end. "OW!" she screamed as she bounced off the wall. "Chibi Venus?" a voice said. It was Neptune, she was on the other side of the dead end. "Yeah, hold on!" Chibi Venus shouted. "Venus Beautiful Shockwave!". Chibi Venus knocked down the impasse and greeted a dusty Neptune on the other side. "That was direct." Neptune commented, choking on some of the dust. "Let's just find every one and get out of here!" Chibi Venus demanded and the two headed off through the winding corridors.  
  
Sailor Venus and Cosmic Moon found each other and wandered the maze together searching for everyone else. Eventhough the corridors were dimly lit, Venus could see the look of concern on Cosmic Moon's face. "I think I know how Eden did it." she said. "Did what?" Venus asked. "Turned Allan against us. It's just like when I became Wicked Lady." Venus remembered the incident well. The Doom Phantom used Rini's own feelings of fear and guilt to gain control of her and use her to attack the Sailor Scouts. "I think you're right." Venus agreed, "And I'm sure that we will have the same outcome as we did with you." Venus stated, Cosmic Moon agreed.  
  
"Mama!" Chibi Mars cried out again. Sailor Mars managed to get to the corridor parallel to her daughter but going further lead to a dead end and going back might take her farther away. "Please come get me mama! I'm scared!" Chibi Mars wimpered as she sat down on the ground, curled up and started crying. "I'm here baby! Don't be afraid!" Mars called out still trying to figure out what she should do next. "Annika?" Mars called out when she couldn't here her crying anymore. "Annika!" Mars shouted, pounding on the stone wall only to get no response. "Oh no!" Mars panicked thinking that something happened to her little girl. "Uranus World Shaking!" the wall crumbled and Uranus stepped through carrying a sobbing Chibi Mars. "Mama!" Annika cried, reaching for her mother. Uranus handed her off to Mars as she pulled out her communicator to figure out where everyone else was. "I'm with Chibi Venus." Neptune replied. "I'm with Rini." Venus responded.  
  
"Destructive Ray!" Chibi Saturn broke down another wall to find her mother on the other side. "Mama!" she cried leaping into her arms. "Let's hurry and get out of here mama! This places scares me!" Chibi Saturn said remembering the ordeal with Lord Sardonyx. Just then the two women heard someone calling out to them. "Allan?" Saturn uttered as she and her daughter ran towards the distant voice. After a few twists and turns the pair came to a dead end. At that dead end they found the reason they came here. "Allan!" Saturn shouted running towards him. "Help me...." Allan weakly mumbled as Saturn and her daughter approached him. "Don't worry! We'll get you out of here. Everything will be all right!" Saturn assured him. As Saturn used her sycthe to cut through the chains, Chibi Saturn reported their success. "We've found Allan!" she trumpeted to the others. "Good. Now turn on your homing sensor of your communicator so we can find you. The rest of us are together now. There's no need to stay here longer than we have to." Cosmic Moon stated. "You hear that? Everyone's on their way." Saturn said as she put Allan's arm over her shoulder to help him walk. "They won't get here in time." Allan stated. "Huh?" Chibi Saturn questioned. She then watched in horror as Allan slipped a dagger out from his jacket sleave and bury it deep into her mother's abdomen.  
  
Chibi Saturn foze in place as she watched her mother moan in pain then slump to the ground clutching at her wound. "W..Wh...Why? Why are you doing...." Saturn muttered as she lost consciousness. "Because my queen commands me." was his cold reply as he turned his attention towards Chibi Saturn. Completely paralyzed with fear, she couldn't even make an attempt to defend herself as Allan was about to bring the blood stained knife down on her. She stared wide eyed at her impending end when Allan was distracted. "They're down here!" Uranus shouted as the group raced down the passageway towards Saturn and Chibi Saturn. Eden then appeared. "We'll finish this later." she said and lead Allan through a portal just as the other Scouts arrived. Neptune shrieked at the sight of Saturn lying in a pool of her own blood. Uranus checked for a pulse. "She's still alive! Quick! Sailor Teleport back to the palace!" she screamed and everyone quickly joined hands, forming a circle around Saturn and Chibi Saturn and teleported out of the maze.  
  
Back at the palace hospital, all of the Scouts and Knights and their daughters sat in the waiting room silently waiting for any news on Hotaru's condition. None of them were able to find their voices after what just took place. Madelyn was so traumatized that she couldn't function, she just clung to her father. After several hours, an exhausted Amy emerged from the operating room. "How is she? Will she be all right?" Haruka asked. Amy's grim expression gave them little relief. "The knife did a lot of damage and she lost a lot of blood. She's in critical but stable condition for now but I can't be for sure. The next thirty-six hours will be critical. All we can do is hope and pray she recovers." Amy said then hurried back to monitor Hotaru closely. "Why would Allan do such a thing?" Lita wondered. "It wasn't him. Eden was controlling him." Rini said. Haruka and Michiru did their best to comfort each other. The two felt as if they were also stabbed when they found their adopted daughter lying lifeless on the ground. "You should take her home now and let her rest." Serenity told Anthony, pointing to Madelyn. "I don't want to leave just yet. Could she stay with you and Endymion tonight?" Anthony asked Serenity and Endymion both agreed. "We should take our children back now too." Mina commented looking around at the Chibi Scouts. Annika was curled up on Raye's lap crying while all the other girls just had blank expressions on their faces.  
  
"Can I see her for just a few moments?" Anthony asked Amy. Amy thought for a few moments. "It's against my better judgement but alright. But only for a few seconds. Upon Amy leading him into the ICU, Anthony wished he never made the request. He instantly broke down and cried as the sight of his wife lying still in the hopital bed hooked up to every monitor imaginable. He quietly made his way to her bedside and took her hand in his and prayed that she would come through. He also vowed to kill the sick animal that betrayed her and put her in this condidtion. Amy stood nearby keeping a close eye on Hotaru's vital signs. "Don't worry. I haven't lost a patient yet." she reassured, placing a comforting arm around him as she lead him out of the room.  
  
After Rini got some of Madelyn's belongings from her quarters, Serenity decided that it would be best for the little girl to sleep in their bed for the night. Since being found, Madelyn never said a word. She was too much in shock at what she witnessed. "Close your eyes and try to get some sleep honey." Serenity said as she tucked the little girl in next to her. Rini went back to the hospital wing to wait with Anthony, Haruka and Michiru. "The poor thing having to witness something like that." Serenity said looking down at Madelyn. "Effective strategy to cripple two of the most powerful Scouts. We should all be on our guard. I don't think Eden's plans have completely unfolded yet." Endymion said thinking of everything that has happened. "I still can't believe everything that's happened so far. I never knew Eden had such power." Serenity commented. "Let's all just get some sleep for now. We'll hold a meeting in the morning." Endymion said as he turned off the lights.  
  
Over and over, Madelyn watched the scene of her mother being brutally attacked in her mind. "...mama..." she mumbled quietly in her sleep. "Mama? Mama! MAMA!". Madelyn jumped up screaming for her mother, jolting Serenity and Endymion awake. Serenity quickly turned the lights on and pulled the screaming child onto her lap. Madelyn didn't stop but screamed louder and started fighting with Serenity to get free of her grasp. "Shh! Shh! It's alright! It's going to be okay. Just calm down." Serenity told the little girl. Within a few moments Madelyn stopped struggling, buried her face into Serenity's shoulder and started crying. "I want my mama!" she wailed. Serenity wished she could give the little girl that but at that moment she wasn't sure herself if Hotaru would live. Madelyn finally wore herself out and was sleeping again, Serenity decided to pay a visit to Sailor Pluto to see how she was doing. Elsewhere Anthony had the same idea.  
  
"She let this happen!" Anthony shouted as he headed towards the Gates of Time to confront Pluto. "She knew and she didn't do anything to stop it from happening!" he said bitterly. Haruka had a hard time keeping up with him. "Just slow down a second! You know as well as I do, Pluto can't tell us these things directly. As for letting it happen she did what she could by trying to convince Hotaru not to go." Haruka pointed out. She was right. There were many times when Pluto wanted to warn the Scouts and their children but couldn't as she would endanger the time line. "You're right." Anthony said stopping dead in his tracks. "Come on. Go home and get some rest. You're not thinking straight right now." Haruka said trying to calm him down. "How can I think straight or even sleep when my wife is lying in a hospital bed fighting for her life!" Anthony cried. "She'll be fine. I know she will. Setsuna raised Hotaru with us as if she were her own child. If Hotaru wasn't going to live then Setsuna would have stopped all of this from happening. I know you're upset and so am I and so is everyone else.". After some more talking, she managed to convince Anthony to get some rest and that she or Michiru would get him if there was any change in Hotaru's condition.  
  
Serenity found Setsuna staring intently at the time gates. Serenity figured she knew what was going to happen. "It must me even worse for you." she said, Pluto never looked away from the time flow. "It will be close but she'll live." Pluto said not moving an inch. "I'm sure when she's able to have visitors she'll want to see you." Serenity added. "I can't just yet. I need to stay here and be ready to do something in case things do take a turn for the worse." Pluto informed her queen. "If I could I'd be with her right now. I couldn't feel any worse than if it was Maggie that was going through all this." Serenity guessed that all of this was taking it's toll on her as she had a look on her face that all mothers get whenever their children were hurt. "There are still many uncertain outcomes that need to be monitored closely. The danger is far from over." Pluto warned. She could sense that Pluto was not in the mood to talk right now so Serenity decided to leave. "We are all here if you need anyone to talk to." she said as she left. Pluto nodded her head as she kept close watch over the time line.  
  
Several hours later Allan came to in a dark room. He started remembering what had taken place. The very thought that he was being used to attack his friends made him sick. What sickened him most was what Eden had made him do to Hotaru. "So we're awake." Eden said coming down the stairs. "YOU BITCH!" Allan roared as Eden laughed at him trying to break free from his chains. "Is this how you thank the person that has given you back your life?" she scoffed with a hurt look on her face. "You won't use me anymore for your plans!" he warned, she just laughed at him. "An empty promise. You'll do as I tell you. You belong to me now and no one else. In your veins folws Nega-energy. You have no choice but to follow me. And believe me I am far from finished with using you!" she coldly laughed. "No one will save you after what you've done today. Why should they anyway. You outlived your purpose to them a long time ago. With me at least you have some thing to look forward too." she stated then left. Allan wondered if she was right about the Scouts not coming for him. He did afterall try to kill his former love. Then a thought struck Allan. What if I succeeded in killing her?. Allan's blood ran cold at the thought of committing such an act. He knew then that if Eden could make him kill Hotaru then there was no way he could prevent her from using him for anything else.  
  
--The Haunting--  
  
For three weeks the Scouts and Chibi Scouts battled Eden and her minions, but there was no signs of Allan during the attacks. "He'll have to show up sooner or later to bail out his youma friends!" Chibi Jupiter commented, wanting to get her hands on Allan for what he did. Chibi Jupiter wasn't alone in that line of thinking among the Chibi Scouts. Except for Rini, everyone wanted to be the one to take out Allan. Ariel was the most determined of them all. Because of what happened, Madelyn was unable to join the other Chibi Scouts in the fights because she was too traumatized by what she had saw. Neither Ariel or anyone else could cheer Madelyn up. All Madelyn could do was cry and Ariel hated seeing her best friend suffer like this. Despite all the time that had passed, Hotaru's condition only slightly improved but nobody was ready to give up on her yet. Because Amy was so busy, she asked that the Scouts talk to their daughters about they're feelings.  
  
"Just rememer that Allan isn't a youma. He's a living person like us that is being controlled by Eden." Lita reminded her daughter. "I don't care!" Chibi Mercury shouted angrily. "I say we waste him!" coming from Ariel, such hateful words were shocking to everyone. "We won't be doing that." Rini said not liking were her team's thoughts were at the moment. "How can you of all people say that?" Chibi Uranus said wondering why Rini didn't want to kill Allan herself for hurting one of her closest friends. "Because I know what he's going through. The same thing happened to me when I was younger." she told them reffering to the Doom Phantom. "Eden is feeding off of Allan's fear and guilt and sadness. We have to find a way to break her control over him." Rini told the younger girls. "You girls should listen to Rini. She's just as upset as you all are but she knows that she can't let feelings of hate and revenge cloud her judgement and prevent her from doing the right thing." Luna spoke up. "I think you should all go home now and get some rest. You must be exhausted from all this fighting." Raye spoke, as she walked away with a tired Annika. The other children agreed and left with their parents leaving Rini with Luna. "Do you think we have a chance at getting him back?" she asked the royal guardian cat. "It will be tough. Eden obviously has a strong hold on Allan. Well, we'll think of something." Luna assured her. Unknown to them they were all being watched.  
  
"Mama. Is Aunt Hotaru going to die?" Annika asked worriedly as Raye came in to check Annika's homework. "Of course not!" Raye shockingly stated. "Why on Earth would you even think of such a thing? Amy says Aunt Hotaru is getting a little better each day and I'm sure she'll be back with us in no time." Raye pointed out. Annika then thought about Madelyn. "I feel so sorry for Madelyn. I know what she's going through. I just wish that Aunt Hotaru was better right now so Madelyn wouldn't be so sad." Annika said remembering how upset she was when her mother was captured. Raye pulled her daughter close to her in a hug. "Things will be all right, sweetie." she whispered softly. Just then the two felt a presence in the room. "What was that?" Annika said looking around the room, holding her mother tighter. "Who's there!" Raye shouted. Just then, the presence left the room. "What's going on mama?" Annika questioned looking to her mother for an answer. "I'm not sure baby." she said taking out her communicator to call the other Scouts.  
  
"Daddy. Will mommy be home tonight?" Ariel asked her father as he tucked her in. "I'm sorry darling but she'll be at the hospital for a few more days yet." Greg told his daughter. Just then the phone rang and Greg went to answer it. He came back with the phone and handed it to Ariel. "It's mommy, sweetie. She wants to say good night to you." Greg told his little girl as he watched her face light up. "Hi, mommy!" Ariel chirped. "Hi darling. Mommy's sorry that she can't be home tonight and I miss you soo much." Amy said. "I miss you too mommy. Is Aunt Hotaru feeling better?" Ariel asked. "A little but I'll have to stay here for a few more days so I want you to be a good girl for daddy." Amy told her daughter. "I will." Ariel promised. "And make sure daddy doesn't skimp on the house cleaning." Amy laughed. "Okay!" Ariel giggled. "Good night mommy! I'm giving you a giant hug." Ariel said. "Good night baby. I'm giving you a giant kiss." Amy said making kissing sounds into the phone. Ariel gave the phone back to her father who talked to Amy for a while. He came back after to check up on Ariel to find her sitting up in bed. "What's wrong honey can't you sleep?" he asked her, Ariel nodded. "Would you like me to rock you in the rocking chair?" Greg asked, Ariel shook her head. "It's not the same as when mommy does it." Ariel said getting back under the covers. "Well just try to get some sleep darling." Greg said tucking her in again.  
  
After tucking Ariel back in and kissing her good night, Greg headed off to bed himself. "Hmph!" a voice said in the hallway. Greg spun around to see if anyone was there. Is anyone there?" he called out to get no answer. Just then he got another call from Amy. "Raye just contacted me. She thinks there might be an intruder in the palace." she told her husband. "I think she might be right." Greg confirmed. "Keep an eye out for anything suspicious." Amy warned. "I will." Greg assured and hung up. "Well Moonbeam. Looks like we got guard duty tonight." Greg said to the blue cat. "Just one small problem." Moonbeam commented. "And that would be?" Greg asked turning to face the cat. "You." stated Moonbeam as Greg gave a scream when he realized that some how he had shrunk and Moonbeam was towering over him.  
  
After the Jupiter family got the call, Lita checked in on Daisy only to find her daughter had changed into Chibi Jupiter. "Care to explain?" Lita asked. "I'll bet its that creep Allan Strafford. Well if he shows up here I'll be ready for him!" she declared pounding her fists. "We will be keeping an eye out for him so why don't you just get some sleep. You have a Science test tomorrow and I don't want you to fall asleep during it." Lita reminded her daughter. "Promise you'll wake me if he shows up?" Chibi Jupiter said. "I promise." Lita said and Daisy powered down. "Good night mom." she said turning out the lights. "Good night." Lita said closing the door. As Lita did some tidying up around the quarters she felt as if someone was staring a hole through her. The feeling made her skin crawl as she glanced around the living room. Anything wrong?" Ken asked. Lita shook her head. "Overactive imagination I guess." she shrugged and turned out the lights. As she was about to get ready for bed her commincator sounded.  
  
"Dad. Out of all the people Eden could have revived, why did she choose Allan?" Maggie called out. "I don't know. But it seems that she wanted to use someone who would cause the most upset." Gary said as he waited outside the bathroom door for his turn. "I wish I was older, then I would know about these things. Mom never lets me in on the good stuff." she mumbled with a mouth full of toothpaste. "You call what's going on right now good stuff?!" Gary exclaimed, finding his daughter's words a bit morbid. "No! Of course not, dad! What I meant was then I'll know about all the big things that will take place." she explained herself. "Well your mother thinks that won't be for some time yet. Although I wish it would be sooner too. Then I could have the bathroom all to myself!" Gary laughed. Just then Maggie screamed and Gary rushed into the bathroom to find out what had happened. "In...th-the mirror..." she gasped and Gary looked at the mirror only to see his own reflection. "There's nothing there." he stated examining the mirror. Just then the mirror cracked as if something had hit it. Gary instantly back away, pulling his daughter behind him. As he did so, some unknown force caused the mirror to explode sending glass shards towards them. Gary covered up Maggie and took the full force of the exploding glass. Several large shards were embedded in Gary's back, who was now lying on the floor in intense pain. Horrified at the sight, Maggie barely managed to get a message out to Lita and Ken on her communicator.  
  
After Lita explained what happened, Haruka agreed to stay with Daisy in case anything happened to her. This left Michiru and the twins wondering what was to happen next. "Michiru-mama. Who's making all this bad things happen?" Hope asked nervously. "It's like the place is haunted or something." Faith said. "Oh don't be silly Faith! There's no such things as ghosts." Michiru tried to ease the fears of herself and her girls. "And people aren't supposed to come back from the dead either." Faith pointed out. Hope held onto Michiru tighter as she began to get even more scared. "Faith! Stop this ghost nonsense! You're scaring your sister!" Michiru scolded. As well as me! she thought to herself. "Sorry Michiru-mama. Sorry Hope." she apologized. Let's just sit down on the couch together until Haruka-papa gets back." Michiru said and they all did so. While they waited, Michiru could sense something was wrong as the sound of large waves breaking filled her senses. Faith and Hope started to pick up on the unbalance as well. "Michiru-mama." Hope mumured. "I know." Michiru whispered. "Neptune Eternal Make Up!" she shouted and transformed, ready to face what ever was in the room. "Show yourself!" Neptune demanded as Faith and Hope transformed as well. "Only if you want to!" Chibi Neptune added in a trembling voice.  
  
The room began to fill with a dense mist, preventing the Scouts from seeing each other. "Stay close to me girls!" Neptune ordered, holding out her hands for them to grab. But what grabbed her hands gave Neptune the fright of her life as two sets of glowing red eyes met hers. Two child like skeletons emerged from the mist. Unable to free herself from their grasp, the two skeletons dragged a screaming Neptune off into the mist. "Michiru- mama!" Chibi Neptune screamed as she tried to follow her mother's voice, tripping over a chair. Chibi Uranus managed to find a window and used flower vase to break it, causing the mist to rush out of their quarters. The two found their mother lying on the floor unconscious. "Michiru-mama!" Chibi Neptune cried trying to shake her mother awake. Chibi Uranus contacted Haruka and Daisy to come to their quarters immediately.  
  
"What the hell is going on!?!" Uranus shouted as she and Chibi Jupiter rushed to the twins and Neptune. "I'll bet money it's that creep Allan doing all of this!" Chibi Jupiter shouted back. Uranus wondered. Just as they entered the hallway leading to Haruka's quarters, something stange happened. Instead of getting closer to the door it seemed as if it was getting further away. "This is way wierd!" Chibi Jupiter exclaimed as both she and Uranus felt as if they were running in place. All of a sudden, the force preventing them from reaching the door let up and the two of them fell over as a hurricane force gust of wind came out of nowhere. Once it had subsided the two were able to get into Uranus's quarters to check on everyone.  
  
In her office, Amy kept her eyes and ears open for anything suspicious. Fearing something might happen to Hotaru she decided to sit with her until the problem was resolved. While she waited she reviewed a medical book. She was reading a chapter on the human muscle structure when the diagram came to life. The sight of the little skinned drawing leaping off of the page frightened her and in an attempt to trap it she slammed the book shut and threw it away from herself. After transforming she cautiously approached the book and turned to the page where she thought the diagram was trapped. To her surprise the page was empty. She quickly scanned the room and found the creature on Hotaru's bed. Somehow it managed to get a scalpul and was running up the bed towards Hotaru, giving a creepy giggle all the while. Mercury quickly slapped the little drawing off of the bed. "Alright muscle man! You've had it!" Mercury declared but once again lost sight of him. There were a lot of places that the little person could hide so Mercury had to becareful as she searched. Just then she felt something prick her leg. As she looked down there was the little man jabbing her with a syringe. She guessed the contents were a sedative as she started to stumble about, trying to fight the effects of the injection.  
  
Soon the sedative took effect and Mercury was lying on the floor unconscious with the little muscle man standing on her chest preparing to finish her off with the scalpul. Just then Jupiter and Ken came into the room with an injured Gary. Seeing what was about to take place, Jupiter kicked the demonic little creature off of Mercury. Before it could scurry off, Ken stepped on it. The little man gave a mournful cry as Ken put his full weight down on it. Soon a sickly squishing sound could be heard as Ken mashed it into the floor. "Help me get Mercury to a bed!" Jupiter shouted after she helped Gary into one.  
  
Both Mars and Venus and their daughters teamed up to find the source of the paranormal happenings. "There's a lot of strange reports coming in. I think that presence Annika and I felt earlier is responsible." Mars pointed out. "Well let's flatten this ghost." Chibi Venus stated. "G-g-ghost?" Chibi Mars stuttered as her cheeks turned slightly blue. "Well it is halloween." Chibi Venus stated. "There's no such things as ghosts! This is probably one of Eden's youma at work." Mars told her daughter. "Let's just find it. defeat it. And get everything back to normal." Venus ordered as they walked along.  
  
"I sense it! Over there!" Mars alerted and everyone entered the ball room. There in the center of the dance floor was a cloaked man. "We're the Sailor Scouts and on behalf---" before Sailor Mars could finish, the cloaked man faced them. "I am the embodiment of every one of my youma brethren you have ever killed! I shall exact my revenge and drain you of you spirit energy!" he shouted as he flew at them. Chibi Mars instantly ducked behind some tables as the vampire youma scattered the four. The speed at which he moved forced all of them to take cover under some tables. We have to slow him down!" Venus shouted and as he passed she got up. "Venus Love Me Chain!". She managed to tie up the undead creature and Sailor Mars paralyzed him with an anti-evil scroll, allowing Chibi Mars and Chibi Venus to finish off the creature.  
  
After everything was turned back to normal, the Scouts held a meeting to discuss the events and what their current situation was. "We've posted some guards to help keep an eye on Amy and Hotaru as well as called in one of Amy's colleauges to help bring Amy around and treat Pluto Knight." Serenity started. Just then the vacant chair next to Anthony started to spin around. "I thought we beat that guy!" Chibi Venus grumbled as everyone focused on the chair. Within a few moments Allan materialized in the chair and laughed at all of them. "Have we all been having fun? I always loved Halloween." he laughed, leaping out of the chair when Anthony lunged for him. "Pathetic." he commented as he cast a synical eye over the Knights as they prepared to fight him, but everyone found themselves frozen in place. "I'll kill you for what you did to my wife!" Anthony roared, Allan laughed at him. "Oh please. You should let me finish the job on her and all your wives for that matter." he stated to everyone's shock. "Are you insane!?" Endymion shouted, refusing to let anyone harm his wife. "We'll die before we let you harm our families!" Asai added. Allan sighed as he walked up to Asai. "I too was once that foolish. Throwing my life away for someone who didn't give a damn about me." Allan told him.  
  
"That's not true!" Rini shouted. "You were everything to Hotaru back then. You did what no one else could have or would have done for her. She loved you!". "And what did it get me! An eternity rotting in a box! Well now I have a second chance and believe me I won't make that mistake again!" Allan said with a smirk. "You already have made that mistake again by siding with Eden in fighting us!" Uranus snapped. "How about all of you? Are you happy to be used as I was? Let me tell you dying sucks and I wouldn't recommend it to any of you." Allan warned the men of their possible future. "We aren't using our husbands! The only one being used is you!" Mars angrily shouted at what Allan was implying. "Oh really? Over the last few weeks I've watched all of you. The Knights in particular. Aside from fathering the next generation of Sailors they serve no purpose whatsoever. You know what I say is true." Allan said glaring at the men. "You're lying! They serve a greater purpose then you'll ever understand! Not only are they the fathers of our children they love and and support us as we do them." Venus pointed out. "Will you love and support them when they're crippled, toothless, frail old men? Will you even bother to dirty your hands with caring for them? Or will you be looking for another young victim to brainwash into giving you what you want?" Allan questioned. "If the rest of you want to know what it's like to be abandoned by your wives then go talk to your friend Gary. Setsuna walked out on him a long time ago. As will his daughter with no thanks whatsoever. There is a man that was truely used.". "Not one more word about my family!" Chibi Pluto screamed. "Oh shut up you little brat! If you opened your eyes you would see that your mother abandoned you as well. She had the trouble of carrying you for nine months then she dumped you and your father quoting "Duty calls.".  
  
"I only came here to prevent you men from making the same mistake I did. Get out now with your life while you are relatively young. If not..." Allan shrugged. "Damn it, Allan! Eden is using you! The only way to stop her is to let go of what ever guilt or sadeness or whatever it is you blame yourself for!" Rini tried to reason with him. "Listen to her Allan. She's telling the truth." a voice called from behind. "Thought you'd show up." Allan muttered. As Allan turned to face Pluto, she attacked him. "Dead Scream!". The attack knocked Allan to the floor. Released from their confinement the Scouts and Knights quickly surrounded him. "This ends here." Anthony said as he grabbed Allan by the throat. Asai and Greg separated the two as Endymion and Ken restrained Allan. "So what if Eden is using me? It's no different what all of you did!" Allan growled trying to escape. "That's not true!" Rini said taking out her Silver Crystal. "Allan this is for your own good! Moon Healing Activation!". Rini's crystal emitted a powerful blast at Allan, purging all the negative energy Eden had infused in him.  
  
--Paradox--  
  
It had been several days since Rini had used her crystal on Allan and he was still recovering. Fearing that Eden may try to capture him again the king and queen posted several guards to ensure his safety. Rini was the only one of the Chibi Scouts to visit him. She came just as Amy was finishing her examination of him. "So how is he today?' Rini asked looking past the guards into the room, Amy just shook her head. "Physically he's fine but as for his emotional state he has a long way to go.". Rini still couldn't believe that the Negaverse would go this far to destroy the Scouts. "What are you thinking?" Amy wanted to know as she could see the wheels turning in Rini's mind. "I'm thinking that this all has to be connected somehow. Of all the people Eden could have brought back she chose Allan. There has to be a reason." she said then entered the room.  
  
"Hey." Rini said slipping onto the bed and giving Allan a nudge to wake him. Because Eden already proved she could control him once, it was decided to place Allan in bed restraints for his and everyone's protection. "What made you do it?" she asked him. Allan laid silent for a few moments trying to decide how to answer, that is if any answer was good enough to justify what was done. "Hel-lo?" Rini called, knocking on his forehead, trying to get a reponse. "A car accident." Allan finally admitted. Rini's cheerful expression was replaced with a grim look of rememberance as she knew what he was talking about. "It wasn't your fault." she replied sitting down on the bed next to him. Allan shook his head. "Eden explained it all to me. After Grimorah's death one of her minions still remained. It knew it didn't have the strength to take all of you on so it decided to attack the one who made Grimorah's defeat possible." Allan said refering to himself. "But it couldn't go after you. You were already dead." Rini pointed out. "So it did the next best thing and kill my family." Allan muttered. Rini said nothing. "So you see it was my fault after all. If I never got involved with any of you then my family and myself would still be alive. Eden gave me the oportunity to have them back and I took it." Allan admitted. Rini's and everyone else's question of "Why?" was answered. Rini decided to leave him rest for now. For the rest of the day Rini wondered if she would have done the same if she was in his place.  
  
Elsewhere Amy decided that Hotaru had recovered enough to be brought of of the induced coma that was needed to give her the time to heal. One of the first faces she saw was Anthony's. He quickly took her hand in his and kissed her cheek. "I'm so glad you're alright!" he cried, grateful that his wife would make a full recovery. "Mama!" Madelyn squealed as she and Serenity entered the room. Amy adjusted the bed so that Hotaru could sit up. Amy had a hard time checking Hotaru over with everyone in her way so she ordered them all out until she was finished with her examination.  
  
"I haven't felt this miserable since I was pregnant with Madelyn." Hotaru commented, still groggy from the sedatives. "That wouldn't surprise me in the least." Amy commented as she finished her exam. "How bad was I?" Hotaru asked wanting to know the extent of her injuries. Amy hesitated, then answered. "You were border line for quite some time. You really had us worried." Amy told her friend with a hint of sadness in her voice. She pushed the sad thoughts out of her mind when she looked out into the hallway at an anxious Madelyn. "But we'll talk more later. Right now I think you have a few visitors." Amy said with a smile as she waved Anthony and Madelyn in.  
  
Serenity decided to leave the Saturn family to themselves to check on another of Amy's patients. The guards stepped aside and let her enter. Allan was sleeping again as she stood there watching him. She quietly walked over to the bed and unfastened the restraints. "You shouldn't have done that." Allan muttered, his eyes still closed. "They looked uncomfortable. Besides I don't think that you are a threat anymore." Serenity said sitting down on the bed next to him. "Leave me alone." Allan stated as he rolled over, turning his back to her. "I know things are bad right now but I believe the worst is over. You'll be safe here and we'll help you as much as we can." Serenity offered, Allan rolled over to face her. "Can you give me back my family? Can you erase what I've put everyone through? Can you tell me that this has been one big nightmare that I'll wake up from to find myself back where I belong?" he asked her. "I can't do any of that." Serenity sadly admitted. "Then you can't help me." Allan said rolling over. "We still want to. Tell me what happened." she told him. Allan sat up and faced her.  
  
"My family was killed because of me! That's what happened!" he angrily shouted as tears ran down his cheeks. "When Eden told me what really had happened I knew it was my fault. I was so far gone that when she made the offer to bring them back in exchange for serving her I took it." Allan admitted, Serenity sat in quiet shock as she listened. "It was a win-win situation I was in from my point. Helping her destroy all of you would get me my family back. If I died in the process then I wouldn't have to live with the guilt of being responsible for killing my family. See? Either way I would have gotten what I wanted." Allan finished. Serenity didn't know what to say. She couldn't even imagine being in that situation. Eden had placed her friend in a no way out position and she decided to do what she could to prevent Eden from going any further. She stood up and gave Allan a serious look, "We will make sure Eden pays for what she has done. But keep in mind that with what you have just told me you have placed yourself in a serious situation. You will be brought before the royal court to answer for your actions. I will ask you one more time. Did you voluntarily help Eden or did she control you into serving her?" Serenity asked, hoping Allan would change his mind so that she could make his sentencing easier. "I did what I said I did and would do it again if I had the chance." Allan stated, Serenity's look hardened. "Then upon be found fit to stand trial you will be brought before the royal court to have the charged, judged and sentenced as the court sees fit." Serenity stated and left the room.  
  
Several days later....  
  
Two guards brought Allan before Serenity, Rini and Endymion, the Sailor Scouts and Chibi Scouts to be tried for his crimes. "You are here by charged with conspiring with with an entity from the Negaverse in an attempt to overthrow the royal family. You are also charged with the attempted murder of Lady Saturn. You are also being charged with the crime of conspiring with a Negaverse entity to murder the Sailor Scouts and their families. Do you understand the charges that are being brought against you?" asked an officer of the court. "Yes." was Allan's reply. "How do you plead to these charges?" the officer then asked. As everyone waited for an answer Rini silently prayed Allan would plead guilty. If he did then his sentencing would be life imprisonment. If he pleaded not guilty and was then found guilty by the royal court then he would recieve the death sentence. Allan looked around at all of them. Each of the Sailor Scouts, Serenity, Endymion and Rini had a look on their face that seemed to scream at him to plead guilty to show that he was remorseful for what he had done. I'm sorry. he thought as he entered his plea. "Not guilty." Allan stated staring straight ahead not looking at any of them. An instantanious round of gasps and shocked whispers buzzed about, Rini dropped her head and started crying. "Silence." Endyimion ordered the court. "The court will now recess to debate this matter. The prisoner will be taken back to his cell until the verdict and sentencing is decided apon." Endymion stated and he, Serenity, Rini and the Scouts and Knights returned to the conference room to decide the matter at hand. The Chibi Scouts were ordered to return to their quarters.  
  
"Despite everything that has happened we must all keep in mind that this is an extraordinary circumstance. The accused was brought back from the dead and to a certain point was coherced into committing the afore mentioned charges." Endymion stated. "The emotional state Allan was in should also be considered. And it has not yet been proven that what Eden had told him was true." Rini brought up. "I'm afraid it is true." Pluto commented. "I checked the time period and I did sense an evil force at work that caused the car accident.". "I also reviewed the incident with Pluto and confirmed that there was Negaverse involvement." Mars added, although both she and Pluto hoped to find nothing. "I believe that Eden only told Allan about the Negaverse involvement in an attempt to bring him to her side. If this information was withheld from him I don't think he would have made the decision he did." Saturn pointed out and Mercury agreed. "But did he voluntarily attack us or was Eden controlling him? That is what will be the deciding factor in making our verdict." Venus added. "I hate to admit it but that is what it comes down to. In his statement he admitted to being aware of the situation and acted on his own." Uranus pointed out. "That's what puzzles me the most. He admits to his crimes but he is pleading not guilty. Does this mean he doesn't feel any remorse or guilt for what he's done?" Neptune wondered.  
  
"He feels guilt and remorse but not for what he's done to us. He feels guilt and remorse for what he believes he has done to his family. I believe he pleaded not guilty to the charges because in his mind he was doing what he thought was right. He knows he'll be found guilty and by pleading not guilty he resides himself to the death penalty. Not for what he has done to us but for what he believes he's done to his family." Serenity stated. "With the sentences all ready agreed upon we will now vote as to whether to find the defendant guilty or not guilty." Endymion stated. This would be a vote that no one would take pleasure in. If a majority guilty vote was attained then it would be the first time the royal court had ever sought the death sentence. "It would be easier if this was a stranger." Jupiter muttered as she cast her vote.  
  
"With two abstentions, a majority verdict has been reached." Endymion stated after the court had reconviened. "It is by the decision of this court that the defendant be found guilty of all charges that have been brought against him. The defendant shall be held in incarseration until the court appointed date of his execution. The defendant shall be sentenced to death by firing squad. Does the defendant understand?" Endymion finished. "I understand." Allan stated. "Then this court is dismissed." Endymion declared.  
  
The next few days no one said anything to each other.  
  
"Upon their ruling, none of the royal family would comment on the matter as this is the first time that the death penalty has been invoked. The execution date of the prisoner---" Rini turned the television off.  
  
--The End--  
  
Questions, comments?  
  
Mail to:  
  
ravyn_knyght@yahoo.com 


End file.
